Friday, July 1, 2016

While Niklas Zennström’s crew of Rán Racing continued a rich vein of form, winning the second race of the day at the Audi Settimana delle Bocche on the Costa Smeralda, the regatta leaders Quantum Racing staged a big comeback to stay on track for their second regatta win of the season.

After poking their bow over the start line too early Quantum Racing restarted smartly and fought back from their tenth at the top mark to fourth and so maintain a two points lead going into Saturday’s finale.

From the last four starts Rán Racing have sailed to a 2,2,4,1 and were it not for Quantum’s typical, never-lie-down-and-die recovery, would surely have been leading into the last day of the event. Their performance on the Costa Smeralda is a significant improvement on the first regatta of the season, Scarlino, where they finished seventh, 23 points behind the winners, Quantum Racing.
It was a difficult day of racing.

The light SE’ly breeze was uneven up the course, often pulsing in with new pressure from the left but the right showing promise and dividend at times. Quantum Racing’s Terry Hutchinson and Ed Baird conspired together to read the first beat beautifully in the first race.

They reaped a good reward on the high left, the final third of the beat, coming in on port with Alegre to steal away round the first mark with a good lead. Doug DeVos’ team won the first race while Alegre in second were well rewarded for their late night endeavours, pulling their rig out and replacing some of their standing rigging after their D2 shroud snapped early in Race 5.

With their win, Rán fourth and Azzurra seventh, Quantum Racing had built a five point lead which it looked like they would carry into the last day. But in the final seconds before the start gun Quantum Racing’s bow came up only a second or two early and as the gun went they were OCS. Rán Racing started well and led Platoon and Sorcha at the top mark while Quantum Racing were 10th.

But the second beat offered opportunities on the left again. Cameron Dunn took Sorcha left and they passed Platoon to take second, their best finish yet at their first ever 52 SUPER SERIES regatta. And the left worked well for Doug DeVos’s crew who got themselves right back into contention.

“We made it hard for ourselves. We certainly did. We just keep at it. Don’t give up. Don’t get frustrated. Each and every person onboard is working. Every wave downwind we are working. We just never give up,” smiled DeVos back at the dock, and, on the secret of their comeback.